Monday, 29 April 2013

Doors of Many Colors

Hello all! Lots of pictures this week.

I so wish that I could email videos. I've started making videos with my companion when funny things are going on or we record ourselves telling funny or special stories from the day. They are super entertaining -- hopefully I can share some of them when I get home!

People here paint their houses the raddest colors. I have a new obsession with taking pictures of cool colored houses and doors.

We climb up and down TONS of these stairwells every single day.

My tanlines from my sandals are getting GNARLY :-)

Hna Avery and I! She is the best, she helps all of us in the house so much. She only has one transfer left in the mission. I can't even imagine being that far along right now! She straightened my hair this Sunday and it was super weird! First time I've done anything to it since getting here, and I feel like its grown a lot!

Hna Prestwich and I! This transfer only has a week left, I don't know where the time has gone. I have no idea what they're doing with all of us next transfer!

I love how the people here decorate around their front doors. They put the most random things together and they turn out rad. Saw this really cool seashell wind chime thing. Made such pretty sounds in the wind. Dad, you're gunna have to help me figure out how to make one when I get home!

This one is for you Porter!

Definitely a "There. I fixed it!" moment.

I am always amazed by the millions of uses for zip-ties I see here!

Our stake center and the building where my ward meets. I couldn't help but take a picture because of how beautiful the clouds were that day! Sometimes I'm in awe of how much beauty there is to find here. I have lots of "Woah, I'm on a beautiful island in the middle of the ocean!" moments every week.

Went to the Conde today, it's a touristy little street full of shops.

It was fun to get out and explore this P-day.

This is the oldest cathedral in the western hemisphere -

Me, and a bust that I'm pretty sure was of Christopher Colombus' son - Lots of history here that I would like to learn more about!

And a quick story. Had a really special moment this week when my companion and I decided to drop by the house of a woman we have been teaching. We had lost contact with her for a few weeks, but one day in the pouring rain, she screeched to a halt in her car while we were walking and explained she'd been out of town & was sorry she had missed us. We set up another appointment, but later we realized we wouldn't be able to make it. So, on a day that we had several other citas (appts) fall through, we decided to just stop by to try and reschedule with her. When we got there she was visibly very upset. She told us that a really close friend, who she had viewed as a daughter, had passed away at 18. She invited us in to say a prayer with her, and we were able to talk with her about the plan of Salvation and the comfort we find in the gospel, before giving her a hug as we left. I know we were supposed to be there at that moment. It was really special to me because a lot of times we don't see the Lord's timing. We can't know how what we are doing affects others; it just isn't always obvious to us. But in that day, and in that moment, I know why I was here in the Dominican Republic in Gazcue frustrated with all of our citas falling through.